The invention relates to enclosures and, in particular, to enclosures suitable for use in a telecommunications network or a data communications network such as a computer network. Such an enclosure is commonly used to house cable connecting equipment but other network equipment, for example servers or modems, may be mounted in the enclosure, according to the requirements of a user.
An enclosure is commonly provided in a communications network to house a multiplicity of cable connections. In order to protect the connections and also to protect persons from connections, the connections are surrounded by an enclosure. It is important that the enclosure is substantially closed on all sides in order to provide the desired degree of protection. On the other hand, the cables have to be connected in the enclosure and, in order to make efficient use of space, a high density of connections is desirable; consequently it is desirable for the enclosure to provide as little obstruction as possible to access for the purpose of making the connections initially or to access subsequently to alter connections or for servicing, repair or replacement of equipment. Those two requirements have proved difficult to reconcile.
In the case of a free-standing enclosure it will often be necessary for the enclosure to have panels at both the front and rear and on both sides in order to provide the desired protecting function. It is, however, also possible that, for example, the free-standing enclosure will be placed with its back against a wall so that a back panel is no longer needed and it is also possible that two similar enclosures will be placed immediately adjacent to one another, in which case the adjacent side panels of the two enclosures are no longer needed and indeed may be undesirable if they obstruct the passage of cables from one enclosure to another.
It is an object of the invention to provide an enclosure which is able to provide adequate protection but is also able to provide little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure.
According to the invention there is provided an enclosure suitable for use in a telecommunications or data communications network, the enclosure including a frame and a plurality of panels, the frame including first and second upright frame members, an upper forward cantilevered frame portion including elongate side frame portions extending from the upright frame members substantially horizontally forwardly along opposite sides of the enclosure and an elongate transverse portion at the front, and an upper rearward cantilevered frame portion including elongate side frame portions extending from the upright frame members substantially horizontally rearwardly along opposite sides of the enclosure and an elongate transverse portion at the rear, the side frame portions being fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members.
By providing upright frame members from which upper cantilevered frame portions project both forwardly and rearwardly it is possible to provide an enclosure with a frame that causes very little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure and yet is able to provide the desired degree of protection when panels are fitted to the frame.
The frame preferably includes upper and lower forward and rearward cantilevered frame portions. Providing lower cantilevered frame portions as well as upper ones further facilitates the provision of a frame that causes very little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure.
The side frame portions and transverse frame portion of each cantilevered frame portion are preferably integral with one another. Furthermore the side frame portions of a forwardly projecting cantilevered frame portion may be integral with the side frame portions of a corresponding rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portion. Thus the upper forwardly and rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portions may be integral with one another and, similarly, the lower forwardly and rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portions may be integral with one another.
One or more of the panels are preferably at least partly detachable. As will be described further below, the arrangement of panels and their detachability can be arranged to provide especially advantageous enclosures according to the invention.
Preferably, at least a major part of a first side of the enclosure is defined by a front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and a rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member, one of the side panels being at least partly detachable. By providing at least partly detachable front and rear side panels extending in opposite directions from the first upright frame member, which is therefore intermediate the front and back of the enclosure, an enclosure can be realised, which can readily be fully closed, but in which when, say, the front side panel, is partly or fully detached, is very accessible from the front or the first side to the front of the first upright member. Similarly, when the rear side panel is partly or fully detached, the enclosure can become very accessible from the rear or from the first side to the rear of the first upright member.
The frame can be used to provide the structural S strength of the enclosure, the panels being supported by the frame.
Preferably the front side panel is at least partly detachable. Preferably the front side panel is pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at a front and/or rear end of the panel; such partial detachment of the side panel enables good access to be obtained to the side of the enclosure at the front when the side panel is pivoted into an open position. The partial detachment may be achieved by releasing a latching device, such as a sliding pin or a lock, at the end of the front side panel opposite the end at which the pivot axis is disposed. As indicated above, the front side panel may be pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at its rear end and/or at its front end. In a case where pivotability is provided at both ends the pivots may be selectively disengageable so as to release one end of the side panel and allow pivoting about an axis at the other end. Preferably the front side panel is fully detachable; when the front side panel is fully detached even greater access is provided to the side of the enclosure at the front.
Similarly, the rear side panel is also preferably at least partly detachable and, more preferably, fully detachable and is preferable pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at a front and/or rear end of the panel. As described above for the front side panel, a latching device, such as a sliding pin or a lock, may be provided at the end of the panel opposite the end at which the pivot axis is disposed and the panel may be pivotable at either or both ends. The rear side panel is also preferably fully detachable. Thus good access can be provided to the side of the enclosure at the rear.
Especially if two enclosures are to be placed side-by-side it may be desirable for only one side of each enclosure to be as defined above and side panels may be omitted from the adjacent sides of the enclosures, but in a more usual case it is preferable for both sides of the enclosure to be of similar form. Thus, preferably at least a major part of the first side of the enclosure is defined by a first front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and a first rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member and at least a major part of a second opposite side of the enclosure is defined by a second front side panel extending forwardly from the second upright frame member and a second rear side panel extending rearwardly from the second upright frame member.
Preferably each of the front side panels and the rear side panels is partly or fully detachable and preferably also pivotable, preferably about a substantially vertical axis at a respective corner of the enclosure and/or about a substantially vertical axis adjacent to an upright frame member.
Whilst it may sometimes be preferable not to have a front door panel or even to have a permanently fixed front panel, the enclosure preferably further includes a front door panel defining the front of the enclosure, the front door panel being at least partly detachable.
As with the side panels described earlier, the front door panel is preferably pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at one side and at the front of the enclosure. The front door panel can be secured by a latching device, such as a sliding pin or a lock, at the other side. Also a releasable pivot mounting may be provided at both sides of the front door panel; the front door panel can be fully detachable. In an enclosure incorporating the preferred features referred to above, with the front door panel and both the front side panels fully detached the whole of the front of the enclosure is freely accessible as are the sides to the front of the upright frame members.
A rear door panel may also be provided and, if so, it is preferably of similar construction to the front door panel. For example, the rear door panel preferably defines the back of the enclosure, the rear door panel being at least partly detachable; the rear door panel is preferably pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at one side and at the rear of the enclosure; the rear door panel is preferably fully detachable.
Preferably, substantially all of the first side of the enclosure is defined by the first upright frame member, the front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and the rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member. Preferably, the second side of the enclosure is substantially the same. Such features can result in an arrangement where, with the side panels pivoted open or detached, the side of the enclosure is fully accessible except where the first upright frame member is present.
Preferably the front of the enclosure at the first side of the enclosure is free of any frame members of substantially vertical extent compared to the height of the enclosure. In such an arrangement, with the front panel removed or opened, access to the whole of the front of the enclosure is unimpeded by any frame members.
In certain circumstances it may be convenient to provide the upright frame members at a position offset from a midway point between the front and rear of the enclosure. Usually, however, it is preferable for the upright frame members each to be substantially equispaced from the front and rear extremities of the enclosure.
In an illustrated embodiment of the invention to be described each of the upper and lower frame portions is formed exclusively from members disposed exclusively around the sides of the frame; transverse bracing of the frame is obtained from the front and rear transverse portions of the upper and lower frame portions. Such an arrangement is advantageous in that, when viewed in plan, the whole of the middle of the enclosure is free of any frame members. Nonetheless it is within the scope of the invention for one or more transverse members to be provided elsewhere; the transverse members may for example extend between the upright frame members at the top and bottom of the frame.
Preferably, the frame is a skeleton frame. Such an arrangement both reduces the weight of the frame and causes minimal obstruction to access. The frame portion preferably comprises one or more tubular members or roll form section members.
Where reference is made in this specification to a xe2x80x9cmemberxe2x80x9d, it should be understood that the member does not necessarily consist of a single component. It may for example comprise two components fixed together and, once so fixed, behaving essentially as a single component. Also, it may comprise a load-bearing member to which one or more trim elements are fixed. Indeed, preferably one or more of the frame members making up the frame include elongate load bearing members to which trim elements are fixed. The trim elements may include one or more elements that incorporate mounting means for mounting one or more side panels.
The enclosure preferably further includes upright mounting angles suitable for mounting equipment for use in a telecommunications or data communications network. In an enclosure for use in a telecommunications or data communications network it is conventional to provide vertically extending mounting angles for mounting electrical equipment such as cable connecting equipment and/or computer equipment such as modems and servers. The mounting angles may be arranged according to any required standard; for example they may be IEC 297-1 mounting angles or ETSI 300-119 Part 3 mounting angles or mounting angles according to any other telecommunications standard. Upright mounting angles may be provided in a front region and/or in a rear region of the enclosure. The mounting angles are preferably supported at least partly by the upper forward and/or rearward cantilevered frame portions. Upright mounting angles may also be fixed to the upright frame members and extend along at least parts of the lengths of the upright frame members. A plurality of pairs of upright mounting angles may be provided, one pair being spaced further apart from one another than another pair. Two pairs of upright mounting angles may be positioned one above the other with one pair being spaced further apart from one another than the other pair.
Especially in a case where a pair of mounting angles do not extend over the whole height of the enclosure it may be desirable to provide one or more supports cantilevered from the upright frame members and extending forwardly or rearwardly therefrom and providing at their distal ends support for ends of respective mounting angles.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an enclosure suitable for use in a telecommunications or data communications network, the enclosure including a frame and a plurality of panels defining the exterior shape of the enclosure, wherein the frame includes first and second upright frame members provided at opposite sides of the enclosure, and wherein at least a major part of a first side of the enclosure is defined by a front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and a rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member, one of the side panels being at least partly detachable.
The frame preferably further includes an upper forward frame portion extending forwardly from the upright frame members at the top of the enclosure and fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members. The frame preferably further includes an upper rearward frame portion extending rearwardly from the upright frame members at the top of the enclosure and fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members. The frame preferably further includes a lower forward frame portion extending forwardly from the upright frame members at the bottom of the enclosure and fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members. The frame preferably further includes a lower rearward frame portion extending rearwardly from the upright frame members at the bottom of the enclosure and fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members.
Preferably the frame portions rely predominantly upon their direct or indirect fixing to the upright frame members for their structural support and in that sense can be described as cantilevered from the upright frame members.
The or each frame portion preferably comprises a pair of substantially horizontal side portions and a substantially horizontal transverse portion at the front or rear of the enclosure, each side portion extending between the region of a respective upright frame member and a respective end of the transverse portion. The respective portions of a frame portion are preferably integral with one another.
An enclosure in accordance with the second aspect of the invention may have any of the features described above in relation to the enclosure of the first aspect of the invention.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an enclosure suitable for use in a telecommunications or data communications network, the enclosure including a frame, a plurality of panels defining the exterior shape of the enclosure, and mounting angles for mounting electrical equipment forming part of a telecommunications or data communications network, the mounting angles preferably being arranged in accordance with a telecommunications standard for mounting angles, wherein the frame includes first and second upright frame members provided at opposite sides of the enclosure intermediate the front and rear of the enclosure, and the mounting angles are supported by the upright frame members via at least one cantilevered support.
An enclosure according to the third aspect of the invention can be completely free of any uprights or frame members throughout its height either to the front or to the rear of the first and second upright frame members.
An enclosure in accordance with the third aspect of the invention may have any of the features described above in relation to the enclosure of the first aspect of the invention.
An advantageous feature of the enclosure of the present invention is that it can be provided as a kit comprising a plurality of separate components which can be packed essentially flat. Accordingly the invention further provides a flat pack including frame members and panels for assembling on-site into an enclosure as defined above.
The invention further provides an enclosure installation including an enclosure as defined above, electrical equipment housed within the enclosure and cables extending from outside the enclosure into the enclosure and connected to the electrical equipment. The electrical equipment may, for example, comprise cable connection equipment and/or equipment such as computer hardware or modems.
The invention further provides a telecommunications or data communications network including an enclosure installation as defined above.
The invention still further provides a method of connecting cables to electrical equipment in an enclosure, the method including the following steps:
locating a frame structure of the enclosure in its required position,
connecting ends of cables to electrical equipment within the enclosure, and
securing panels, including side panels, to the frame structure to form an enclosure installation as defined above.
The method may further include the step of assembling the frame structure.
The enclosure may be supplied as a flat pack.